Sport is all about giving back to where you came from.
For Praise Hola, being among the 12 young women awarded a Tania Dalton Foundation scholarship this year was "life changing" and allowed her to further her own skills while supporting her netball community.
The foundation — created after the former Silver Ferns shooter died from a brain aneurysm in 2017 — provides three-year scholarships to support young women to strive to their potential through mentoring, workshops, financial assistance and pastoral support.
Hola, a midcourter who could also slip across to goal attack, wanted to use the knowledge she would gain through the scholarship to support others.
But it could also help the 17-year-old further her own career and follow the legacy of Dalton, who earned 12 caps for the Silver Ferns from 1996 to 2007 — including winning the Netball World Cup in 2003 — and played domestically for the Northern Force and the Southern Sting.
"This opportunity is awesome," Hola said.
"I think it’s a life-changing opportunity.
"It’s helping me a lot with my sport, especially my sporting dreams."
Those dreams included playing in the ANZ Premiership and hopefully one day pulling on the black dress as a Silver Fern.
Hola, who started playing netball at 6, is in the Otago Girls’ senior A team and represented Otago at under-18 level last year.
Netball allowed her to travel around the country, make "lifelong friends" and achieve her dreams. She hoped that would continue through the foundation.
Since the foundation’s inception in 2018, 73 young sportswomen have been awarded scholarships.
Rosie
Rosie Falcous has drawn a line in the sand.
After working her way up the ranks from a nipper to a junior surf life-saver, her career hit new waves last year when she represented New Zealand at the youth life-saving world championships.
The 16-year-old has made another dive and is humbled to be given a Tania Dalton Foundation scholarship this year.
"It’s really exciting to receive the support of the foundation and all that comes with it.
"I’m really excited for the mentoring. I think that’s going to be amazing and learning from everyone within the foundation.
"It really seems like a big Tania Dalton Foundation family."
Among previous scholarship recipients are former Southern Steel defender Taneisha Fifita and player Ivari Christie, as well as Black Ferns Renee Holmes, Amy Rule and Sylvia Brunt.
Being part of a scheme filled with top national sportswomen inspired her to achieve more.
"When we were inducted into the class at our prizegiving, the graduating class was also there.
"Looking up to them and seeing what they’ve achieved in their three years of the programme is pretty special — [thinking] where I could be in three years with the support of the foundation."
Falcous started surf life-saving as a nipper at 8 years old at St Clair Beach and developed from there as a junior.
Her career made a splash last year when she was named in the 12-strong Junior Black Fins team to compete at the youth world championships in Riccione, Italy.
The Junior Black Fins placed second overall, and she made the final for the beach flags and sprints.
"It was a pretty exciting experience.
"You only ever get to wear the black cap for the first time once, so really soaking up that opportunity.
"With it being my first time representing New Zealand ... you just get so much learning."
